We bought a zoo Larry Stylinson Au
by sadyshea
Summary: Louis's parents pass away and he's left with the custody of his four sisters. He decides to buy a zoo as a fresh slater and meets Harry Styles, the head zookeeper. / based on the movie 'we bought a zoo' larry stylinson lourry
1. Prologue

It's just a normal night of babysitting, reading your sisters the 'Jungle Book' which is their favorite bedtime story, even Lottie's, though she pretends to be much too cool for it. Their eyes are drooping as you read them the familiar words that your mother and father have read them so many times before.

Then your phone rings, and while they object you interrupting the story, something inside tells you to ignore their plights.

"Hello? Louis here."

"_Is your name Louis Tomlinson? Are your parents Mark and Joannah Tomlinson?" _

"Yes… um… wait, what has happened?"

"_I'm so sorry to tell you this, but they have been in a fatal car accident."_

"….. what? No, they were just out on a date, they should be on their way home."

"_I know this is hard to hear, but they have passed away. I need you to come down to the hospital to identify their bodies."_

The girl's looks at you with fear in their eyes, they know something had just changed their world forever, but you put on a brave face and tell them not to worry. But you know the time that you must be honest with them is ticking away.

You go to the hospital, look at the shells that used to be your parents and nod 'yes'. You have to bite your tongue to hold down the acid that is creeping up your throat at the sight. You drive home, never feeling so numb in your entire life.

One day passes and there are only so many excuses you can make. You tell them in the best way can and still, everything shatters around you. There is no more disturbing sound than the sound your four younger sister's make at the news of their parent's passing.

Hurt comes in waves and so does grief, at first when you lose someone, it doesn't feel real. It can't be real but after a few days of living in denial, you realize they aren't coming back and you can't do anything about it. You feel helpless, like everything is out of your control.

Your sisters cry and you feel guilty for not knowing how to comfort them, you have to meet with lawyers and deal with people giving you their condolences, whether or not you want to hear them.

With four younger sisters now in your custody, you have to find a way to bring the light back into their worlds before it's too late.

My name is Louis Tomlinson. This is the story of how I bought a zoo.


	2. Chapter 1

The idea seemed crazy at first, but I was looking for anything at this point to distract from my parents' sudden passing.

I couldn't bear to see the girls faces every morning full of hope that our mother and father would walk down the stairs and say 'Good Morning', but they never came, so they were left with only disappointment and grief to carry on their little backs for the rest of the day until finally they could fall into the sanctuary of their dreams where they could at least pretend that our parents were still alive.

One morning, I was reading the newspaper, searching for some sort of sign of which direction I should take now that I had no determined one.

I had to drop out of university to take care of my sister's fulltime and to deal with the tedious details of my parent's estate. Most of their invested money was going to the girls and I, and much to my surprise, there was a lot of it.

Anyway, I was perusing the classified section when I stumbled upon a totally bizarre posting that leapt out at me as soon as my eyes crossed it:

**Up for sale: Alexander's Animal Emporium**

**A beautiful estate with roaming hills, a home with six bedrooms, as well as your very own zoo (including animals) to take care of. Price to be discussed with real estate agent upon request. **

It was if the skies had opened up and gave me the perfect answer to my problems. The girls were miserable in our family home, especially the twins, who still didn't quite understand that they'd never see their parents again. But, on top of that, it made me think of their absolutely favorite story: 'The Jungle Book'. If we moved to a zoo, they could be living that dream every single day.

I contacted the real estate agent right away and set up a meeting with her, to be held over coffee. Unfortunately, the problem with getting coffee in our small town is that there is only one coffee shop, which is where our parents first met each other. We've heard the romantic story hundreds of times but now none of us can bear to even pass it without it bringing back memories and emotions that just aren't helpful at all. We avoid the place like it's the plague but when the real estate agent proposed coffee, I didn't think twice about it, just because I was so caught up in the fantasy of actually owning a zoo.

Outside of the shop, I bit my lip, staring up at the sign with upset riddling my every breath, but I needed to be strong for my sisters who I was about to give a chance in a lifetime. The real estate agent showed up right on time and introduced herself as 'Greta'. We quickly sat down, coffees in hand and discussed the details of the estate.

"I have to honest with you, Mr. Tomlinson, it's quite the investment. I mean, it's going to take a lot of upkeep as well as renovations. It was practically abandoned by the owners a few years ago because they went bankrupt, but the zookeepers have been volunteering their time since then. This isn't just a game, it's a business that you will be entering." She explained with blatant honesty, which I appreciated very much.

I thought on her warnings for a moment but then realized I just didn't care. My family needed this, this escape, this sanctuary; I didn't care how much work it would take or how much money, my choice was made.

"Good thing I studied business in school for three years then, I get all the financial side of it and I'm willing to take on the hands-on work as well. I want this property and everything that it entails." I answered her, voice full of determination.

"All right, well, I just don't want you to make a rash decision and then regret it later." Greta shared.

"Regret? My life is full of regret, every single waking moment I think about how I could have used my time better, made a different choice, been less selfish about thing… but I'm tired of regret. I know if I don't do this now, it will be the biggest regret of my life." I responded and she looked at me with trusting eyes.

"You clearly have thought about this, and even if you haven't, I can see that this is what you want." Greta said, beaming at me as she pulled out the contract and a pen. "All you need to sign here and here, and it's yours. We'll figure out the logistics of payments later."

Greta had just handed the rights of a zoo over to me. I currently held in my hand the dream that I wanted my four sisters and I to live.

I looked around the coffee shop and somehow felt better about it. It was no longer a place of tragedy; I now saw it as a second chance given to my family. First, it gave us our parents being together and now it gave us the opportunity to live on with only their memory and a fresh start to our life as a family.

Now, it was time to go home and unleash the surprise on them.

Lottie, as always, was texting away madly on her phone. She's the first one to be a teenager so throwing herself into social media seemed to be her escape from the reality of the world and I didn't blame her one bit.

Fizz, Phoebe and Daisy were playing snakes and ladders, Fizz practically acting as their second mother. Only eleven and yet she can parent better than I think I ever will be able to. She's got the comfort part down as well as the fun factor; I'm not so good at dealing with the tears… I feel a bit helpless when that happens.

"I'm home!" I announced, walking in the front door of our home with the contract heavy in my pocket.

Lottie didn't even look up from her phone but as soon as they heard my voice, the other three stormed me with hugs. As cute as it was, it was now somewhat of a macabre ritual because in reality, they were relieved that I had returned to them, alive and safe.

"Where did you go, Lou? You missed the best game of snakes and ladders EVER!" Daisy decreed, showing me how she was in the lead.

I chuckled, mussing her hair while Phoebe glowered at her twin. When I noticed this, I said, "Well, I think we are all winners here, and I have a surprise for you girls. Everyone sit on the couch, okay?"

With wonder in their eyes, Phoebe, Fizz and Daisy climbed up on the couch where Lottie was currently perched. She glared at their intrusion but then saw that I had arrived home and pocketed her cell.

"Where were you all afternoon? I had to watch these gremlins instead of going shopping with Stacy!" Lottie accused, furrowing her still miniature brow.

"I was meeting with a real estate agent… and I know you girls have been wanting to move somewhere else for a while and I've found the perfect place…." I began and saw Lottie's eyes narrow toward me. "It's a zoo!"

The girls exploded with laughter and I smiled at their uproarious reaction before I realized they thought I was kidding. Even Lottie had a giant smile on her face, caught up in her sister's giggles.

I didn't really know where to go from there, I thought they were going to be happy about it but now I just felt like an idiot. I tried to keep a straight face on but Fizz quickly saw the disappointment in my eyes.

"You're serious… we're going to be moving to a zoo." She murmured, the first to stop laughing and quickly the room became silent, as I didn't pull a 'just kidding' on them.

"No, he's just messing around, he'd never do that to us." Lottie protested, probably for her own sanity and clearly in question of mine.

Phoebe shrugged, "I think it'd be pretty cool to ride a giraffe to school every day."

This finally broke the ice as everyone burst out laughing.

_Bless Phoebe, _I thought, thankful for her comment.

"Fizz, I'm quite serious, I just signed the contract for it and we'll be moving out this weekend after your school year ends. And Lottie, I'm sorry but this is what we need as a family, so I don't want to hear any protests, we are moving to a zoo." I explained one the laughter had died down.

Lottie opened her mouth for a moment to object but Daisy dug her fingernails into her older sister's arm to quiet her, which I was thankful for. The last thing I needed was a temper tantrum from my thirteen-year-old sister that I was trying to make a better life for.

"I can't wait." Fizz said, standing up and hugging me once again.

This prompted the twins to do the same as Lottie just glared at me from the couch. I'd never expected for Lottie to be fully supportive of the gesture but I had anticipated her to be at least mature enough to see that it was the best option for our family.

"If Phoebe gets to ride a giraffe to school, I get to ride a lion, okay, Lou?" Daisy requested, staring up at me with her sparkling blue eyes.

"I'm sure we can arrange that." I responded, chuckling at my little sister's obscene request.

**And just like that, we were moving to a zoo.**

Moving day was nothing short of hell for us Tomlinson's. We had never moved in our entire lives so I hadn't anticipated the amount of boxes that we would actually need to cart our personal belongings out to our new home at the zoo.

Thankfully the movers had more of a handle on things than we did and finally we got ourselves out the door and into the car. Our new home was only an hour away from our old one so the girl's could still go to the same school, so, not everything was going to be new.

Lottie still was resistant and even threatened to go live with her best friend, Stacy, for a time but finally caved when Phoebe and Daisy begged her to come along with us.

The moment we pulled up in front of the gate that majestically read:

**Alexander's Animal Emporium**

It was even more beautiful than the pictures and the girls immediately hopped out of the car to explore their new stomping grounds. Lottie was reluctant at first until she saw a zookeeper walk by with a lemur in hand. They were her weakness, so just like the others, she was off within seconds.

Finally, things seemed to be falling into place. I walked slowly through the gates, eyes trailing over the exhibits as I passed them; it felt like I was living in my own childhood dream. I knew that my parents would love this place, especially my mother who had always had a connection with animals.

I hoped that wherever they were they could see the potential in my decision to purchase such a whimsical place to call home. But that exactly what we needed to distract ourselves from the grief of our past: a new adventure.

Somewhere along my exploration, I ran smack dab into something or someone and ended up flat on my back.

My head throbbed and my vision was blurry but there was a voice that helped me to concentrate; it was warm and inviting.

"Are you okay, mate? I didn't meant to get in your way like that…" The voice inquired, when I finally was able to focus enough to decipher the words.

I nodded and as my vision cleared, I saw a young bloke with curly hair and sparkling emerald eyes staring down at me. My breath hitched as he offered me his hand.

"You must be the new owner." The stranger determined as I took his hand and he helped me up. "I'm Harry Styles, the head zookeeper here at the Emporium."

I was still a little dazed so it took me a moment to process and then respond. "Yes, I um… I'm the new owner. It's nice to meet you, Harry, I'm… Louis."

Harry chuckled at me, probably thinking I was a total idiot. "Well, I have to go feed Ringo, so I'll catch up with you later."

Before I could even think of a proper response, he was off into the zoo grounds.

My head was suddenly filled with many questions: _Why did the head zookeeper have to be so adorable and charming? Is that unprofessional to think that? Where are my sisters? Did an elephant eat them? Are elephants carnivores?_

_Who the hell is Ringo?_


	3. Chapter 2

Three days we have been here and yet I still felt completely out of place. There's just so much responsibility and a never-ending list of things to get done. But, at the same time, we were in heaven.

The girls were in their last month of school and then they'd be free to do whatever they pleased around the zoo, as long as I knew where they were at all times; this idea would surely backfire if Daisy were devoured by a tiger or a lion.

My routine now has been wake up, make breakfast and prepare the lunches for the girls, and spend the rest of the day fulfilling tasks to get this zoo back up on it's feet.

I've met many of the staff and they're all incredibly dedicated to the cause; none of them have been paid for the last two years and while this seemed to be okay with them, I want to be able to pay them as soon as we re-opened the doors to this place.

This morning, as soon as I sent the girls off to catch the school bus, a knock sounded at the front door. I quickly rushed toward it and saw through the screen that it was Harry, the head zookeeper that made my head spin.

I opened the screen and said, "Good morning. And to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Harry smirked at me, looking me up and down. For a second I thought he was openly checking me out (not that I would mind) but then I realized that I was still wearing the apron that I had made breakfast with.

I whipped it off and threw it back into the hallway behind me.

"I rather thought you could pull that look off. 'Louis in the kitchen', that sounds like a pretty good editorial article and photo spread to me." Harry teased as I turned bright red with embarrassment.

"Good one…" I murmured, looking down at my toes, my cheeks red hot.

Harry lifted my chin with his rough palm (due to all his hard work at the zoo) and made me look up into his eyes. "No need to be embarrassed, mate, I think what you're doing for these kids is kind of, well, amazing."

I was disappointed when he took away his hand but kept looking in his beautiful green eyes. I swear he should be an eye model or something, if those existed…

"Erm, thanks. It's been a rough road so far but I think I'm finally getting a hold of everything. My life has been such chaos these last few months since my parents passed and I think finally I've made one right choice by moving into this place." I explained and he beamed at me the entire time I did.

There was something so comforting about the way that Harry actually cared and listened when I talked. I felt like there was someone aside from my sisters who were supporting me in this journey.

I had to leave all my good friends behind in university and enter an entirely foreign world where I was completely alone with four little girls to take care of. Unfortunately, there was no guidebook provided for my situation so I basically had to blindly face it.

"You're pretty brave, I mean, I don't know if I'd be able to do it; just drop everything and dedicate your life to something so fully?" Harry shared, biting his lip with realization.

I scoffed. "Isn't that exactly what you're doing? You're an eighteen year old who voluntarily runs an entire zoo; I think we're in the exact same boat. But you probably know more about what you're doing than I do."

"Well, to be honest when the owners left I was only an intern." Harry admitted and I was surprised. "Along with some of the other zookeepers who still work here, we were doing it as a volunteer job on the side of school. My mother is a veterinarian and I've always had a connection with animals so when the owners abandoned this place, I knew it was my responsibility to take charge."

"Couldn't you have just turned it over to the city?" I wondered.

"The animals would've been torn from their homes here and auctioned off to zoos all around the world. Here at Alexander's we pride ourselves in our rehabilitation efforts so we only accept injured, abused or animals that have been born in captivity but have the capacity to be rehabilitated into nature in the future. This place isn't just somewhere people come to ogle at animals behind bars, this is an educational facility where people can come and really understand the animals we have." Harry answered and I smiled at how passionately he sounded.

"_That's_ amazing." I said and earned myself a Harry Styles signature smile. "Now, what exactly did you come see me for this morning, Zookeeper Styles?"

He smirked but then re-focused himself into 'professional Harry' mode. "I need to talk to you about Ringo. He's getting older and has a lot of health issues so we need to discuss some things about that. But, maybe you should come meet him first?"

"Sounds perfect." I responded, finally getting used to meeting all the animals and being introduced to them quite formally.

It was pretty spectacular how much the zookeepers respected the animals they were tending for. There was an odd sense of camaraderie shared between them that made for an excellent dynamic for the zoo to be built on.

I pulled on my work boots and followed Harry away from the house and back to the zoo limits. We silently made our way toward one of the larger enclosures for the cats and I soon realized whom Ringo was.

"This is Ringo." Harry presented the hulking male lion that was sunbathing in front of us.

He was intimidating but breathtaking at the same time. I slipped my fingers through the fence and Ringo looked up at me as if I were a complete stranger.

"Hi." I murmured to the beautiful cat and he yawned in reaction to me.

Harry laughed at the interaction and said, "Did you expect him to come running to play with you?"

"No, actually the opposite, I thought he might come over and claw my face off." I answered. "So, what are his health issues at the moment?"

"He's practically blind in both eyes and deaf in one ear, his previous owners were a Circus, so there is countless damage to his belly from whipping which has caused scar tissue buildup." Harry explained, wincing slightly as he did so.

"Scar tissue?" I wondered aloud having no idea what this could lead to.

Harry looked back at me with a very serious look in his green eyes. "It basically disturbs his digestive tract making it painful for him to eat food. He's a smart animal so he has figured that out and basically refuses to eat anything which causes another slew of health issues."

"Oh… poor guy." I sympathasized, looking at the giant animal who laid in front of us being tortured because of his previous abusive owners.

"He's been through a lot before he arrived here. But now we have to decide what to do with him because the medicine required to bring back his appetite is pretty expensive and I just don't know if we have the donated funds to cover it anymore…" Harry shared, worry in his eyes about Ringo's fate.

"I'll pay for it." I blurted, without really thinking before I said it.

Harry looked at me with shock in his eyes. "Really? I mean, Lou, that would be spectacular but we really don't expect you to have to do that… that would be selfish, and- and… I don't know…"

I quickly lifted one finger to Harry's lips to put an end to his blabbering. "I'll pay for it. End of."

Harry smiled into my touch, which reminded me that we were still in contact. Knowing that I was the reason that he was smiling meant the world to me in that moment, simple pleasures, right?

"We need to drink to this." Harry decreed, grabbing my hand and leading me across the zoo site.

"What? Where? It's only 11:30 in the morning, Harry!" I objected as he continued to drag me along.

He looked back at me and winked. "That's perfect, it's practically time for tea!"

"That still doesn't explain where you're taking me, you loon!" I said just as we stepped in front of a path that seemed to lead into a mess of trees.

"To the Critter Café we go!" He cried, taking the path that lead to a clearing.

In the enclosed area, a small shack stood that indeed was called 'The Critter Café'; there was music blasting from inside and just as we were about to walk in, Harry finally released me from his grasp.

The inside of the café was more like a pub than anything café like. There were three other blokes there that I recognized to be the core group of zookeepers and also Harry's close group of friends.

"It's the infamous new owner!" One of them cried, raising a pint of something in my direction.

"Oi! Mates, this is Louis Tomlinson and he just volunteered to pay for Ringo's medicine!" Harry announced and I couldn't help but blush as they whooped and hollered in approval.

A peppy looking blond bounded toward me and shot his hand out. "I'm Niall Horan and I specialize in the birds at the Emporium. Anywhere from the parrots cage to the ostrich enclosure, I'll be there."

I took Niall's hand, noticing his Irish accent and positive attitude. I then saw that he had a little parakeet perched on his shoulder, which amused the hell out of me.

"Nice to meet you, Niall, and your little friend." I greeted, shaking his hand and nodding my head at the little bird that chirped in response.

"Hey, I'm Liam, I design and maintain the enclosures. It's basically my job to keep up with regulations and with our last inspection going as poorly as it did, we have a lot of renovations to do, you ready for that?" Liam said from across the room, a serious look in his eyes.

"Whatever it takes, I'm here to do the work and I'll put in as much money as necessary. I want this place re-opened as much as you guys do." I assured them all as the last bloke came up to me and passed me a drink.

"Zayn. The creepy crawlies are my forte: snakes, bugs, and lizards, you name it that scares you and I deal with it. Bats as well, I dig bats." Zayn explained as I took the drink.

He seemed a lot more intense than the rest of them but there was a great dynamic between the blokes that I realized was probably established when they had grown up together. I hoped I wasn't intruding too much on their already functional set up.

"And I do everything that these lugs can't handle or the rest of the staff can't manage." Harry interjected. "But… let's not make this about us anymore, you're the man of the hour. I propose a toast: To Louis!"

"No, no, no! That puts too much pressure on me." I protested, my eyes wide at Harry's suggestion. "Let's just make it to how much potential this place has. To Alexander's emporium and all the adventure that comes with it!"

The four zookeepers and I raised our glasses and harmoniously celebrated a new chapter in all of our lives.

We drank off the rest of the afternoon and when I saw that it was time for my sister's to arrive back home, I apologized about my departure and ran back to the house just as my four sisters waved up the driveway.

I ran down toward them and picked both Phoebe and Daisy up in my arms. I flung them around and was delighted by their giggles.

"Are you… drunk?" Lottie accused as she and Fizz neared me, furrowing her brow at me.

"If he is, he's a funny drunk not a scary drunk." Fizz said supportively. She was always my savior.

"Fizz, that's not the point! He's drunk and he's supposed to be taking care of us!" Lottie argued with her sister before storming into the house.

I slowly let Phoebe and Daisy down, realizing that my choice had been, in fact, irresponsible. The twins were oblivious and continued on with their giggle fit until they had re-entered the house.

And then it was just Fizz and I.

"I'm sorry." I apologized, guilt making me feel sick to my stomach.

"Don't be. You're happy which makes us happy." She protested before reaching up for a hug.

I accepted it graciously and was comforted by my little sister's support.

_She was right, I was happy. I had found a place where we could be a family again, we were on our way to re-opening the zoo and today, I even made Harry Styles smile…. _


	4. Chapter 3

A few weeks into the mess that we called getting a zoo ready to be re-opened, Fizz came down with an awful stomach bug and was forced to stay home (much to her dismay). Out of the four girls, Fizz was always the one to put on a brave face even if she was feeling a bit off. She loved school and basically had never missed a day in her life. With only two weeks to go with school anyway, she was devastated when I forced her to stay home for the day.

"But, Lou, I'm fine!" She protested, looker greener than Shrek himself.

I crossed my arms to show her who was really the boss of the situation; I wasn't going to be swayed by those adorable blue puppy dog eyes of hers again. "No, Fizz, you're staying home today. That's it."

"At least let me Skype into class." Fizz suggested, pulling out her Mac book pro onto her petite lap.

I snatched it away from her and shook my head 'no'. "Miss Felicitie Tomlinson, you are taking the day off and that's final. You will rest and you will watch tele and that's all you will do."

Fizz pouted for a moment but then her eyes brightened with interest. "May I watch through the animal cams?"

The animal cams was a system that was set up around a week ago to promote the re-opening of Alexander's Emporium; it had been Niall's idea and we had all thought it would be a great way to re-gather interest in the zoo. Basically within each enclosure there was a hidden camera that would capture the animals acting like themselves that people at home could watch through a live streaming feed on our website.

"I suppose." I caved, handing her back the laptop computer.

She smiled up at me, already looking as if she had more color in her face than before. Fizz seemed to be content with the situation so I quickly said in passing, "Harry will be coming up to check you out. He's the closest thing to a doctor we have here so behave for him, okay?"

"What? Harry? Like, the head zookeeper, Harry?" Fizz stammered, suddenly panic in her little eyes. "He can't see me looking like this, Lou! It's not fair!"

I bit my lip, trying to figure out what about Harry's presence could throw my little sister into such a tizzy but then I realized her blush was similar to the one that I got when Harry was around; Fizz had a crush on Harry.

"Oh my god… Fizz, do you like him?" I accused, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"No! Shut up, Lou!" She protested, crossing her arms in frustration.

"Fizz has a crush on Harry." I taunted, jumping on the bed and attacking her with a tickling ambush. "You better admit it, Fizz, or the tickle monster will torture you until you do."

She fell into a fit of giggles and laughter until she finally screeched, "Mercy! Mercy!"

I backed off and beamed fondly down at her. "And…?"

"Fine! He's sort of cute and makes me get butterflies whenever I see him…" She grumbled as she made her confession. "Does that mean I like him?"

I could compare the way I felt about Harry to my eleven-year-old sister which was both hilarious and troubling to me; did I like Harry? Was that extremely unprofessional considering that I was practically his boss? Why did everything have to be so complicated when it involved his perfect curly hair and gorgeous green eyes?

"I would say so." I advised, ruffling her hair. "But, kiddo, he's quite a bit older than you, though I don't blame you for your interest…"

Fizz gave me a funny look before bursting out into another fit of laughter but this time she wasn't looking at me, she was looking beyond me. Realization hit me as I heard Harry's familiar chuckle sounding out from behind us.

"Whose interest in who?" Harry wondered, walking into my sister's room.

That was the one thing about Harry that could go under the 'cons' list if I were ever to make one (because I'm a fourteen year old girl like that): his uncanny ability to pop up unannounced at the worst possible time.

"Oh, nothing." I stammered, standing to my feet and facing the zookeeper. "We were just gossiping, you know how family's do and such…"

Harry and Fizz shared a perplexed look before Harry muttered, "Right… now what seems to be the matter young lady?"

"Well, er… I don't feel quite well." Fizz responded, her nerves getting in the way of her ability to form proper sentences. "My stomach feels as if it's in the completely wrong place, if that makes sense at all?"

Harry whipped out a thermometer from his pocket and leaned down to set it in my sister's mouth. He paused for a moment before the gadget beeped and he took it away to examine it.

"You've got a touch of the flu based on this temperature. We're just lucky that we caught it early." Harry explained. "Basically just stay in bed, sleep a lot, drink fluids and try and stay as stress-free as possible."

I could tell that having Harry in the room probably wasn't helping with the stress situation so after his diagnosis I said, "Well, Fizz, why don't you thank Harry here and then get some rest, darling?"

She nodded anxiously before mumbling, "Thank you, Harry."

It almost seemed as if it pained her to even say his name, let alone be in the same room as him. Unrequited love, how painful and confusing it could be, especially at such a young age; I'd had my fair share of it considering I wasn't exactly of the heterosexual persuasion.

I'd known from a young age that I was gay, although I didn't have a label for it then. I knew I liked boys when other boys my age were fawning over girls, which I just didn't understand. I didn't really want to be different, so, for a long while I pretended that I was into those of the female type but after a while it was torturous to hide who I really was.

I came out to my parents and family over the dinner table when I was eighteen years old and have never looked back. My sexuality doesn't define me nor does it set me apart from people asides from the love factor. I've never really gone out and looked for it, it always just sort of slaps me in the face and takes me awhile to process. Unfortunately nine times out of ten the person I've fallen for is either straight or they are taken. Hence the term and poison of my existence: unrequited love.

Now, when I say love I don't mean I've necessarily fallen in love with everyone I've ever been interested in, that'd be utterly daft and I think I'd be quite insane at this point. I guess a better term for my curse is unrequited like.

I was in unrequited like with Harry Styles, the zookeeper of my dreams.

_Wow, I really am a fourteen-year-old girl at heart… well, that's a bit depressing. But I digress…_

After we left poor, sickly Fizz to her own defenses, Harry had an update on Ringo and his rather expensive medicine: "We started administering it last week and it might just be doing the trick. Thank you so much."

Harry wrapped his arms around my waist it was felt like an intimate more than friendly embrace but that was probably me just reading too much into things because I am in 'like'. He was probably just feeling passionate about his work with the animals and that was what was translating as intimacy to me.

I pulled away, not wanting to torture myself any further and gave him a goofy smile. He cocked his head in a puppy dog fashion and my heart just about melted.

"What?" I demanded of the look.

"I don't know, you just… give me so much hope." Harry admitted. "Ever since you arrived her it feels like we aren't drowning so much anymore but instead we're slowly floating our way back up to the top. It's totally inspiring and refreshing."

"Um…. Well, thank you?" I muttered, unsure of how to answer such a blatant compliment.

Harry chuckled at my awkward response and proceeded to be beam at me with his stunning green eyes. "I think we both deserve a night away from the emporium, do you want to come out with me and the gang tonight? As much fun as the critter café is, we need some distance from this place, just for one night."

I bit my lip, considering the invitation of a guy's night. I could really use the de-stressing but based on Lottie's previous reaction to my attempt at fun, I wasn't sure if it was a great idea.

"I'll have to think about it, okay?" I responded wearily. "My sisters need me around, so, I'm just not sure if I can swing it."

"Oh, yes you can! We can manage quite functionally without you!" Fizz called through her closed bedroom door.

I rolled my eyes and blushed with embarrassment at her eavesdropping. But, thankfully, Harry just seemed entertained by it.

"Then it's a date." Harry confirmed before trotting off so I didn't even have the chance to make a second objection to the night out.

And just like that, I was going out on the town with a bunch of zookeepers, and one that I was particularly fond of.

"Did you know that parrots actually have better memory than elephants do?" Niall slurred, his accent even more resonant than usual. "I mean, I think the saying should be 'parrots never forget' instead of 'an elephant never forgets'. Do you get what I'm saying?"

We were in our sixth round of drinks so almost anything anyone said at this point, I found quite hilarious. Liam had decided not to drink that evening so he was serving as the designated driver (which I thoroughly appreciated so that I could drink my face off).

"Lou! Lou! Lou!" Harry yelled at me from across the table.

I lazily looked his way and he winked at me.

"Made yah look." He teased before falling into a fit of laughter at his own joke. His laugh was so infectious that I even couldn't resist joining in.

Liam gave Harry a disapproving look and Harry just shrugged in response before sticking his tongue out at the enclosure designer. Harry clearly was the youngest of the bunch, a fresh faced eighteen year old who finally looked his age out of his uniform and in smart looking jeans and collared shirt.

I'd caught myself staring quite a few times in admiration of his attire, having to re-center my thoughts to those that were more appropriate and less sexual about my younger coworkers.

"Snakes are people too." Zayn piped up, looking up from his phone where he had been watching videos all evening.

Niall had explained this as a habit that Zayn had started ever since Niall made him a blog. It was called 'Crawlies-R-Us' and on it Zayn passionately expressed his love for the creepier animals in existence. The problem was he became overwhelmingly dedicated to it, especially when he consumed alcohol.

"Of course, Zayn, of course." I reassured him, patting his back supportively while making a face at Harry.

Harry beckoned me over and while I rolled my eyes to make it seem like an inconvenience to make such a re-location, I was delighted that he had invited me over.

As soon as I sat down next to him, he leaned over and whispered, "You know what I said earlier about you changing the emporium for the better? You know I meant it right? I meant it all. I would never take a word of it back."

I indulged his inebriated ramblings by responding, "Yah, of course."

"I just have a quick question and I don't want to sound like an utter dick for asking it." He inquired, still speaking to me at such a proximity that I could feel his hot breath on my neck.

I nodded, letting him know that he could ask anything of me.

"Okay…. Okay…" he began, clearly collecting his thoughts. "Earlier when I walked in to Fizz's room and you were both chattering about someone liking someone else. Well, I just got this feeling and you might think I'm crazy but… was the liked person _me?"_

I swallowed slowly for responding, "Yah, uh… Fizz has a bit of a thing for you."

Harry gave me an almost disappointed look. "But I thought I heard you say 'I can't blame you for the interest'…"

_What was Harry asking of me? I didn't want anything to change between us but no matter what I responded something was bound to change. The only question I had to ask myself now was: be honest with him or lie through your teeth?_


	5. Chapter 4

I swallowed slowly for responding, "Yah, uh… Fizz has a bit of a thing for you."

Harry gave me an almost disappointed look. "But I thought I heard you say 'I can't blame you for the interest'…"

I coughed awkwardly and looked down at my shoes, thinking that maybe I could get some inspiration from the linoleum below our feet. Unfortunately no perfect answer was found there so I was forced to look back up at his piercingly green eyes and respond, "I mean, you're a good looking bloke, Harry, you know that. I was just trying to make her feel more comfortable about her feelings toward you. It was just a passing thought."

Harry almost looked disappointed which hit me like the punch to the gut. He shrugged it off and then regained his regular composure by flashing his signature smirk at me.

"Well, at least I know someone out there fancies me. I can add Fizz to the list of five people that have ever show any interest in me." Harry joked before taking a swig of his drink and slamming it back down to hide his (as I was reading it) broken pride.

"I didn't know I was being invited to a pity party, this is exciting." I teased, beaming at how affected Harry was getting by the conversation.

I liked this side of Harry because he so rarely let it be shown. It was his vulnerable and sensitive side and it intrigued me even more than his usual confident and almost mysterious self. There were no questions to be asked with this Harry because everything was so out in the open, whether he intended it to be that way or not.

Now, it could have been the booze but I was feeling particularly pushy so when he didn't respond immediately to my ploy, I straight up asked, "Harry, are you married to your work or have you ever really had a relationship?"

Once again he looked at me with those big eyes that almost reminded me of a sad puppy dog and shook his head. "No time, really. Between the business side of things and keeping the animals healthy, I barely have enough to keep myself safe. I've also never really been the best at translating my feelings for someone into any verbal or physical action."

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Have you ever kissed anyone before?"

"I had to kiss Niall once because of a dare. It was awful but outside of that I've had a few snogs with some girls when I was younger but those never really meant anything to me. I guess you can call me a bit pathetic when it comes to the love department." Harry explained, looking down at the ground with embarrassment.

How quickly the tables had turned from me being put in a vulnerable spot to now him being in the spotlight of brutal honest. The difference was that he was being totally open with his answers while I had straight up lied to him. I decided to take a risk and mend this mistake.

As Lottie so frequently says _You Only Live Once._

"I think you're really special Harry and there's something about you that makes me want to know more every single time that we are together. Your compassion draws me in and if I'm going to be brutally honest, you're fit as hell."

The words all came stumbling out of my mouth before I could actually register what I had just admitted to. His surprised eyes told me that I had probably revealed too much but then he just smiled.

"You don't have to say that, Lou." He murmured bashfully, his cheeks red. "You're way too kind for your own good. You don't always have to indulge my blatant calls for validation."

"But I want to." I quickly responded, moving closer.

Whether it was rational or not, Harry Styles was the only thing I saw before me in the moment, the only thing I cared for and the only thing I wanted. So desperately I yearned for him but was so unsure of how he felt for me. The risk was in putting myself out there and I no longer had to fear that any longer for I had already done it. Now, all I had to fear was rejection.

If he didn't want me back, I would be all right. I wouldn't dwell on it (at least not forever). Things wouldn't change between us.

"You're the best thing to ever happen to Alexander's." Harry shared, looking straight into my eyes with something that could have been lust or just deep appreciation. I wasn't sure but I was fine with either option.

"I'm glad I can help." I muttered, a little disappointed at where the conversation was going instead of concentrating on what was going on between us.

Harry opened his mouth to say something else but before the words passed through his lips, my phone rang in my pocket. I gave him an apologetic look but quickly snapped open the phone.

"Louis? Oh my god…."

The voice on the other side of the phone was panicked and clearly upset. I couldn't tell if it was Lottie or Fizz but whoever it was, was clearly freaking out.

"Yes, I'm here. Shhhhhhh darling, it's going to be fine. Please tell me what's wrong."

"Daisy's gone. We went to put her to bed with the sitter and she just… wasn't there. She only left behind a little drawing but we're worried and…. We need you at home, Louis."

"What? She just disappeared?"

I didn't understand what was going on but I was now in complete panic mode. My little sister was missing and I wasn't at home to find her. I had only been a parent for a few months and I had already screwed it up.

"I'm not sure but will you please just come home?"

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

I quickly closed the phone and tore through the pub, collecting my jacket from where the rest of the blokes were sitting. I didn't have time to explain so I ignored their questioning calls. Only when Harry grabbed me by the arm did I realize that I had left him alone.

We were outside of the pub and I was trying to desperately hail a cab. To my dismay, I didn't exactly have the knack for it apparently. Harry stepped out into the street without a second thought and flagged one down.

The both of us slipped inside and I muttered to the cabbie, "Alexander's emporium, please."

The cab took off into the night as I settled into the silence that Harry's company provided. Usually he wasn't so quiet but I could tell that he was respecting whatever was going on for me but I was thankful I didn't have to take the ride alone.

"Daisy's missing." I explained ten minutes into our drive back to the zoo.

"Oh my god, Lou, I'm so sorry." He murmured, his eyes full of worry and compassion.

_Goddamn those perfect eyes of his, _I thought, _he could tell an entire story with them without even moving his lips once. I'd listen for hours…_

"It's all right, I just… I shouldn't have left them tonight…. I can't ever leave them again. They need me." I muttered, the frustration with myself apparent in my voice.

Instead of responding verbally, Harry did something that meant so much more to me. He took my hand in his and squeezed it supportively like a promise that everything was going to be all right and that it wasn't my fault.

I melted into the comfort of the contact and went so far as to lay my head down on his shoulder. Whatever was going on between us was confusing but would have to wait for further clarification at another time. Right now I needed to find Daisy.

Daisy had left a small picture of what seemed to be a cat of some sort on her bed. There was no note to explain where she had gone, only the scrawled drawing and a very upset group of sisters (namely her twin, Phoebe).

I made the girls recount the entire evening from moment to moment, trying to figure out when she could have ran off to. I discovered that she had gone missing somewhere between brushing teeth and story time which had always been a production back when my parents were alive. Story time was always a big part of the bedtime routine and as much as I could, I tried to keep that up (as much as Lottie pretended to hate it).

That's when I got a strong feeling in my very core. I immediately stood up and went to search out our copy of the 'jungle book', which my sisters had always adored. We kept it on the bookshelf in the front room but when I reached the bookshelf, it was nowhere to be found.

Wherever Daisy had gone, she had taken the book with her.

"Girls, what was Daisy's favorite part of the story?" I demanded, turning toward them with intensity.

Harry watched my sleuthing with complete support (and slight amusement) as I began to deduct where my little sister had gotten off to.

We had decided not to involve the police quite yet because it was clearly a case of running away and I sincerely didn't want them questioning my custody of the girls. We just didn't need to be torn apart right now.

"She liked the tiger. For some reason, even though it was evil, she liked it." Phoebe answered immediately, her eyes full of worry for the fate of her twin.

"We don't have any tigers…" Harry noted.

I looked down at the photo she had drawn and noticed something I hadn't seen before. In small letters that I had assumed was an attempt to write out her name like an artist's signature was something else.

_**RINGO.**_

"Oh no… Oh my god, please no…" I stammered, realizing exactly where my little sister was.

I took off out the front door and into the cold night air. My little sister might be in the hands of a lion and it was my entire fault. I zigzagged through the enclosures, animals squealing at my presence, desperately searching for Ringo's cage.

Harry ran after me and when he caught up, he asked, "Where are you going?"

"Ringo. Daisy drew Ringo on that page." I blurted as his eyes widened with shock.

"Follow me." He advised as we ran through the darkness.

The feeling of being completely out of control was suffocating to me but I somehow was able to keep it together with Harry by my side. The caring, gorgeous zookeeper was keeping me sane when everything around me was going to hell.

We came to a halt at the edge of the cage and what I saw made my heart jump up into my throat. Daisy was petting a sleeping Ringo with her little hand, looking at him like he was an answer to her prayers.

"Daisy." I hissed, hoping to catch her attention.

She looked up to me with her solemn eyes and I knew that she felt lost without Mom and Dad. This was her way of mourning and it was devastating to me.

"Daisy, darling, I need you to come to me. As much as Ringo is usually safe, we can't risk his reaction to you when he wakes up. Walk slowly toward us, okay?" Harry advised and the tone of his voice was so calm and collected, it was astounding.

Daisy looked in autopilot as she did as she was told. She looked like a little ghost in her nightgown as she walked toward us. She slipped under the fence and with a breath of relief; I collected her up into my arms.

"I miss Mommy so much." She murmured into my ear, her little hand holding on to our copy of the jungle book. "And Daddy too. It hurts so much."

I kissed the top of her head and whispered, "It's okay, Daisy, it's going to be okay."

Her tears flowed down her face and I couldn't help but get choked up as well. I looked at Harry and mouthed 'Thank you'.

He looked at me with those green eyes of his and simply nodded.

_Even when it felt like everything was breaking, I had to something to hold on to. My hope that someday this zoo would bring joy to my family and heal the wounds that fate caused us. Thankfully, Harry Styles was there to help that along._


End file.
